Improvement on buckles



GEORGE R. KELSEY, OF VVVESI HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IM PROVEMEN T ON BUCKLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,997, dated August 30, 1864.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that' I, GEORGE R. KELsEY, of West Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckles, as a new article of manufacture; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction, character, and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which make part ot'. this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the buckle complete as ready for sale or use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ot' the bow and loop or main frame of the buckle, showing the s'waged depressions where the cross-bar is attached and the open joint where the two ends ot' the wire meet. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cross-bar as swaged, ready to be attached to the' main frame. Fig. et is a perspective view of the tongue as swaged, ready to be attached to the cross-bar.

My improvement consists in a buckle made of three pieces ot' wire, each piece swaged to its privper iorm, so that when united or attached together one piece will constitute the bow and loop or main frame ot' the buckle, while the second will form the crossbar, to which the tongue is attached, and the third will form the tongue, with all which 1 use two hollow anti-frietion rollers, againstwhich the movable part ot' the strap works when buck ling and unbuckling.

I-niake the bow and loop or main frame of the buckle of one piece otl iron, or any other suitable wire, tot' a thickness suited to the size et' the buekle,) by the use of suitable dies or swages, making it nearly in the form of a square or oblong, and bringing the two ends ofthe wire nearly together, as at a, and properly shaping the places b and c to receive the ends ot' the cross-bar, leaving the two parts (t and d to receive the hollow rollers round all, as represented in Fig. 2. I make the crossbar ot' a piece of iron wire by flattening and bending the two ends, as represented in Fig. 3. I make the tongue ot' a piece ot' iron wire by sharpening one end (to tit it for entering the hole in the strap) and by iiattening and bending the other end, all as represented in Fig. 4. I connect the cross-bar, Fig. 3, with the main frame, Fig. 2, by swaging or setting down the ilattened ends, so as to secure the crossbar firmly and rigidly to the main frame, as represented at c and b, Fig. l, and I attach the tongue, Fig. 4, by swaging or setting down the bent end e around the cross bar, as represented at c in Fig. 1 so as to secure the tongue firmly to,

and yet allow it to work freely on, the crossbar. I make and t the hollow anti-friction rollers g and h in the usual way, as represented in Fig. l, when the buckle is ready for use.

The advantages of my present improvement over my buckle patented February 1S, 1862, consistiu that I use the wholepart ofthe main frame, as d, Fig. 2, for the bow or part on which the end of the tongue rests, thus using the strongest part where there is the greatest strain, and the open part ata for the loop or part where there is comparatively no strain. This is theV reverse ot' my former buckle, which has been found to be defective iu that particular, and in that, by placing the additional hollow roller-,.g, on the loop, I conceal the opening a, render it more convenient for tucking the loose end of the strap under the loop, and also render the buckle more symmetrical by the similar ap] earantc ot' its parts, the whole making it a much stronger and neater buckle than the former one, while it is applica-ble to all the purposes for which that was desi gued,and serves every purpose in a more valuable way.

I disclaim all ot theparts and arrangements set forth in my patent ot' February 18, 1862, .is such; but

What I claim as my inventiomand desire to secure by Letters Patent, as a new article of manufacture, is

A buckle, when constructed and iitted for use substantially as herein described.

GEO. R. KELSEY. 

